Subtraction By 2

Overview

As we learned in the previous lesson, subtraction is the process of taking one amount away from another amount. We use subtraction to tell us how many are left.

If we started with 8 slices of delicious pizza and 2 slices were eaten, how many slices are left?

For this problem, we are dealing with subtracting, since we are taking one amount away from another amount. We are taking away 2 slices from the 8 slices we start with, which is 8 – 2. Now we can use our subtraction skills to find that 8 – 2 = 5. We are left with 5 slices of pizza!

In this lesson, we will be focusing on subtracting by 2.

Let’s take a look at our first example.

There are 3 dogs, but 2 dogs are crossed out.
We can SUBTRACT to find out how many ARE LEFT.

This will give us the DIFFERENCE.

When we SUBTRACT 3 minus 2, we have 1 LEFT.
We say: THREE minus TWO equals ONE.
We write it like this:

3 – 2 = 1

Awesome, let’s take a look at the next practice example.

There are 6 airplanes, but 2 airplanes are crossed out.
We can SUBTRACT to find out how many ARE LEFT.

When we SUBTRACT 6 minus 2, we have 4 LEFT.
We say: SIX minus TWO equals FOUR.
We write it like this:

6 – 2 = 4

Fantastic! Let’s try another problem with pictures.

This time we will subtract hearts.
We are SUBTRACTING to find out how many are left.
We can see that there were four hearts to start with. Two of the hearts are now gone.
When we SUBTRACT 4 minus 2, we have 2 left.
We say: FOUR minus TWO equals TWO.
We write it like this:

4 – 2 = 2

Let’s try one more together!

This time, we are subtracting the number 2 from the number 10.
The first number in the subtraction sentence is called the MINUEND.
The second number in the subtraction sentence is called the SUBTRAHEND.
This problem reads as 10 – 2 = 8.
When the SUBTRAHEND 2 is subtracted from the MINUEND 10, we get a DIFFERENCE of 8.

When we want to find what TWO LESS is in a group of objects, we can remember that the DIFFERENCE will be the number that comes TWO BEFORE when we are counting.

12 – 2 =

For example, 12 – 2 = 10. We also know that when we count, two numbers that come before 12 is the number 10. This can help us to subtract quickly and correctly when subtracting 2 from a group.

Here is another example.

3 – 2 =

For example, 3 – 2 = 1. We also know that when we count, the number that comes two before 3 is the number 1. This can help us to subtract quickly and correctly when subtracting 2 from a group.

Now that we know how to quickly subtract by 2, let’s review some important words that relate to subtraction. Look at the chart below.

Knowing these words are very helpful especially when you work with word problems.

With that being said, let’s try a subtraction word problem!

In the problem, we start with 8 apples. The key words ARE LEFT tells us to subtract.
TWO apples are eaten from the group.

8 – 2 = 6 apples

You’re a superstar! Below you will find practice questions that you can try yourself.

Practice Question 1

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Practice Question 2

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Practice Question 3

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Practice Question 4

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Practice Question 5

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